


Blind Date

by xJordanKayX



Series: Same Faces Different Places [9]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-05
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2019-03-27 11:04:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13879527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xJordanKayX/pseuds/xJordanKayX
Summary: What the title says...?! Well, kind of anyway...





	Blind Date

**Author's Note:**

> World:   
> A Riverdale in which Alice never married Hal and they broke up ages ago already and she's raising their two children practically on her own. The Jones' are new to town.

“No” It's not the first time she's said the exact same thing in the last week and she doesn't plan on changing her mind, but her daughter just won't hear it. She needs to be more persistent, she thinks, since it's her last chance to make her daughter see how much she does * not * want to do this. 

The blind date Betty had set her up on is tonight and Alice has no intention of going. She hadn't even known she's registered on some dating site until the blonde had come to her last week and told her bluntly that she'll be going out next Friday. She'd been protesting ever since, without much success. She knows Betty and Polly, who's probably in on this, too, only want the best for her and that she won't end up alone but even if she hasn't been dating in a while now, she also hadn't needed her daughters to set her up before that either. And a blind date is just not her thing. 

“Come on, mom” Betty pleads one last time. She's tired of this conversation, too, but she's not prepared to give in and cancel on her mother's behalf. “It's * one * date. You don't have to see him again if it turns out bad. Hell, you don't even have to stay if you don't like him, you just ring my phone once and I'll call you back with a made up emergency” 

“Yes, because he's definitively never watched a movie before” Alice turns away from cooking dinner, leveling a glare at her daughter. She loves both girls to pieces, but she'd love it even more when they would start minding their own business instead of meddling in hers. “What does your sister say about all this?” 

“Polly's set up the dating account, I'm just the one managing the potential candidates” And that is what effectively kills her last way out off this. If one of her daughter's hadn't been good with her dating right now, or even someone she doesn't even know, Alice wouldn't have gone. But both girls ganging up on her, her only way to not go would be to act like a bitch and risk Betty moving into Polly's for a week. It had happened before. 

“Alright, where do I meet him?” She's incredibly not happy about it, but she won't let her children down either. She spends the rest of dinner preparations and the following dinner being told what to wear and how to recognize her date and what ever else she needs, but doesn't want to know for tomorrow. 

****

So it's Friday evening when her daughter shoos her out of the house, after having spend hours helping her pick out her dress and make up. Alice thinks it's way too much and blind dates are, for the most people, the * only * date those two people will ever have with each other. But Betty seems happy and Polly's been by earlier and she seemed happy, too, and so Alice checks her purse again for everything she'd need and leaves with just enough room to get to the restaurant on time. 

Alice walks through the door of the fancy restaurant, takes one look around and promptly steps back outside. This is ridiculous. She's neither the type for fancy restaurants, nor blind dates and no matter how happy it makes both her children, she's not going. She feels like a bitch for just not showing up, * she * wouldn't want to be stood up, but she can't do this. This is just too weird and so she takes off the white rose pin Betty had said she needs to wear for her date to recognize her and crosses the street. 

She won't be lying to her children and tell them some story about a date that didn't work out; she'll be telling them she didn't go, but she needs a few minutes to herself to prepare herself for the onslaught of questions and looks he'll receive the moment she comes back home just half an hour after having left. The bar across the street looks exactly like a place to do this, and so she enters it without hesitation this time and looks for a seat. 

She doesn't plan on staying long, so the bar's the best place and, scanning the room, probably also the only one. The bar is packed with all different kinds of people, getting drunk and minding their own business. She finds two empty bar stools and claims one for herself before ordering a glass of whiskey. She's not planning on drinking more than that, but as long as she's here, she'll as well take advantage of the alcohol provided. 

She's being left alone for exactly ten minutes before some guy walks up to her, leaning into her personal space. She's about to tell him off, show him to his place, but the words die on her lips when she looks into the handsome face in front of her. And then she feels like a complete idiot, because the only thing the guy wants from her is to know if the seat beside hers is taken and when she shakes her head no, he sits down, orders and goes on ignoring her completely. 

It irks her greatly, even though she doesn't really want to be hit on by anyone. If that would have been the case, she'd shown up at the blind date she still feels guilty over for not showing up. She ignores him, too, only stealing inconspicuous glances in his direction when he's one hundred percent not noticing it. He's hot, she can't deny that, just like she can't deny that she would have not stood up * him * anywhere. But she's not here for that, by the looks of it, he isn't either and anyway, Alice is almost on her way home, drink almost gone. 

She absently notices the guy next to her leave, his drinks still on the counter so he's probably be back, and she takes a last sip of her whiskey. Gathering her purse and coat, going over the conversation with her daughter in her head she's about to leave when a hand settles over hers and her personal space is invaded and she instinctively knows it's not the guy from before. And she's not in the mood for this. 

She tells him so, falls on deaf ears completely and before she knows it, there is another glass of whiskey in front of her and the stranger is occupying the stool that had been just vacated. She's uncomfortable with him being so close and she does nothing to hide it at all, but he doesn't seem to notice. Maybe he's too drunk, maybe he just doesn't care, but Alice wants nothing more than to leave but every path she could take is blocked by hands and a body leaning into her to be able to talk over the music. 

And then there are arms slinging around her waist from behind and a kiss dropped to her cheek and she relaxes instantly, because even though it sounds impossible, she just * knows * who it is and she feels safe in the knowledge that he won't take advantage of the situation. 

“Sorry I'm late, baby” She hears over the music and has to bite her cheek not to laugh at the expression of the stranger in front of her. She's tried the 'boyfriend' card but it had been ignored just as every other attempt she'd tried at ditching him. 

“That's okay” She makes a show out off lacing her fingers through the hand resting on her hip and she turns her head to look at the man whose name she doesn't even know. “I've been in good company” She sends a small, fake, smile across and makes to get up. The hand on her waist, the one intertwined with hers slides up and rests on her shoulder and he pulls her into his side lightly. Then he orders two more drinks and leads her over to a booth that had just been left empty. She slides in, he follows without thinking about it and when they are settled in, she turns to him and thanks him. 

“It's okay” He says with a loop sided smile and Alice feels pathetic for falling for it. They don't know each other, he could be * anyone * and the only thing she's sure of is that she'd like to get to know him better. She's not one for outer appearances, she's not shallow, but he's hot and it's a big plus, too. “I could see how uncomfortable that was for you” 

“You don't even know me” She hopes she doesn't sound ungrateful, because she's really not, but she doesn't get it. They had ignored each other the whole time they'd been sitting next to each other and suddenly he's rescuing her from unwanted attention. 

His answer is a shrug of his shoulders. He can't describe what had possessed him to help her out like that. She's incredibly attractive, and obviously single, and more than just a bit uncomfortable with the man hitting on her. All that's true, but is it really an explanation that doesn't sound creepy or like * he's * hitting on her now? “Instead, he holds out his hand for her to take. “I'm FP” 

She raises an eyebrow but doesn't ask. Maybe he'll tell her his complete name, maybe he won't – it's their first (and probably only) meeting in a crowded bar at night, she's not about to tell him everything about her, too. She takes his hand and gives him her name still. “Alice, nice to meet you” 

They spend the next two hours getting acquainted, moving from small talk to more real conversation without consciously realizing it and before either of them knows what's happening, he's walking her to her car, arm wrapped around her shoulders again and she's leaning into his side. They part ways with a set up dinner date for next Friday and exchanged phone numbers. 

****

Betty and Polly know she hasn't been on her date and though they have not really been thrilled about it, they had accepted the fact that it's her life and stopped needling her about it. Upon Alice's insistence, they had even deactivated the online dating account. They don't know Alice doesn't need it because she's managed to score a date without their help. 

Alice had been texting and talking with FP over the phone for the last five days, but she has not told either of her daughters about the man. She likes him, can actually see something with him working out, but she still needs to think about her children first – no matter how old they might be. She'll wait til after their first real date before saying anything. 

Alice had bribed Hermione with details about her impromptu 'date' with FP last week and so the official story is the two women had spend the night together when Alice didn't go to her date. She'll tell the truth when and if she knows she'll be introducing FP to her children. To both of their knowledge Alice plans for this Friday involve trash TV and a bottle of wine with Hermione, while their three daughters have a sleepover at Polly's. 

****

Her date runs smoothly and she doesn't think she's ever been so comfortable with anyone on a first date, or really any date, since Hal and her High School days. They talk about their children (he has a son and a daughter, the latter of which stayed in Toledo with his ex-wife), about their childhood, their interests and likes and she feels as if she knows him for years already. She kisses him when the night is over and when he leaves her at her front door without trying anything she isn't initiating, she's sure she's in love already. 

She pushes introducing him to her children for weeks, not because she doesn't want to, but because she's afraid of what they'll think. FP is so completely different from the men she used to date; from their father. But then she finally can't do it anymore and she invites Polly over for dinner on Saturday, two months after she'd first met him. She's this close to saying I love you, feels he's on the same page, and it's the right time for all of them to meet. He'll bring his son, who they realized attends classes with her younger daughter and with any luck, this dinner turns out great. Alice can see a future with FP, now all that she needs is for their families to get along. 

She's nervous when Saturday finally arrives and she's pacing the front hall until the doorbell rings. She opens the door after taking a deep breath and all her worries leave her when she looks at him. She greets his son, who is polite and nice but alternates his eyes between the two adults inquiringly. FP ignores him, kisses her in greeting and sends the boy into the living room where Alice said her daughters are. 

To both their surprise all three children step into the hall again, alternating the same looks the boy had earlier, until Betty finally speaks. “I thought you didn't go!?”

“Yes dad, explain” The boy holds the same accusatory tone to his voice as Betty had. And neither of the adults know what's going on. 

“The date” Polly clarifies when she realizes that maybe her mother and her boyfriend really have no idea what they are talking about. “We've set you up on that blind date two months ago” 

And suddenly Alice has a guilty conscience, fears he'll be mad at her for standing him up back then but all he does is look equally as guilty. He might have shown up at the bar after her, but the doesn't mean he's been waiting across the street for someone who hadn't shown. He hadn't even sat foot in the restaurant before determining the idea as stupid and she whole situation as ridiculous and then he'd had the same idea Alice had, because his son would have given him hell for arriving back home that early. 

In the end they all sit down to dinner to talk and discuss this new development and when the evening is over they can even all laugh about how all this turned out. Thirty years of marriage later, it's still the favorite story at family dinners.


End file.
